A clear majority of the public support the central tenets of a greener economy and want to see the UK rapidly accelerate investment in renewable energy, according to a major new YouGov poll revealing Chancellor George Osborne's attacks on the green economy are unlikely to impress swing voters.

The survey, which comes as Osborne prepares to announce a new gas strategy as part of his autumn statement, reveals a majority of voters reject the Chancellor's contention that economic considerations should take priority over environmental concerns.

The poll found that 54 per cent of the public and 53 per cent of likely Tory voters agree "we can save the planet and the economy both at the same time by investing in green technologies", compared to 29 per cent of the public and 32 per cent of Tory voters who think environmental protection is unaffordable in tough economic times.

In a boost to the renewables industry, 57 per cent of the public and 53 per cent of Tory voters said the UK should commit to generating most of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 with just a tenth of respondents opposing the idea. The findings echo a series of recent surveys that have consistently shown around 60 per cent of the public support increased investment in renewable energy and favour renewables over fossil fuels.

The latest poll also confirms Osborne is at odds with the majority of the public, after he last week insisted that a decision on the inclusion of a decarbonisation target in the Energy Bill should be delayed until 2016.

Moreover, only 39 per cent of people and 35 per cent of Tory voters agree with the Chancellor's controversial pledge last year that the UK should not lead other countries in its efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, while 47 per cent of people and 46 per cent of people said Britain should look to lead the world in the development of the low carbon economy.

The poll, which was commissioned by the Fabian Society and WWF, will provide further ammunition for those green-minded Conservative MPs who have been arguing that the right of the party's recent attacks on green policies will make it harder to attract the swing voters the Conservatives need to secure a majority at the next election.

"The next election will be a fight for swing voters who want Britain to lead the world in creating a low carbon economy," said Keith Allott, head of climate change at WWF-UK. "Any party that wants to form the next government should remember this."

The poll comes as green businesses and NGOs brace themselves for an Autumn Statement many fear will deliver a series of blows to environmental efforts.

Osborne is widely expected to again defer planned increases in fuel duty and while the Chancellor is likely to confirm the continuation of a reformed Carbon Reduction Commitment energy efficiency scheme, the Departments of Energy and Climate Change and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are due to be among those asked to deliver further spending cuts over the next two years.

The Chancellor is widely expected to announced £5bn of new capital spending, but the majority is expected to target schools, health and roads, rather than explicitly low carbon projects.

In addition, Osborne will tout his new gas strategy, which will set out two scenarios: one allowing 37GW of new capacity from 40 new power plants and one enabling 26GW of new capacity from about 30 new power plants.

David Kennedy, chief executive of the independent Committee on Climate Change told the Guardian yesterday, that 37GW scenario would provide no guarantees of complying with the UK's binding emissions reduction targets, but 26GW scenario could comply.

"The first scenario should be plan Z, the second plan A," he told the paper. "But including both scenarios in the strategy is damaging for investment in the energy sector. They are radically different paths and investors looking at this would say the government is giving no clear signal at all."